| General Fiction posted October 25, 2016 |
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Life mirroring fiction
Prejudice And Pride
by Heather Knight
We were eating lunch two weeks ago when Mum first brought up the topic that had been dancing in her mind all day.
'Do you know we have new neighbours?'
'We do?' Dad asked, feigning interest.
'Yes, in the big house, the one down the road.'
'And why should we care?' my sister Mary asked her.
'I've heard they used to live in London and they are loaded. And I've seen a Mercedes parked outside.'
Kitty and Lydia just listened, too excited to say anything.
My sister Jane and I looked at each other. Jane smiled and I rolled my eyes. Mum thought we lived in the nineteenth century. She wanted to marry the five of us off. As if...
A few days later, when I was taking out the trash, I ran into two men I had never seen before.
'Hello there,' one of them said.
'Hi.'
They came towards me and introduced themselves.
'My name is Charles and this is my friend Fitz. We are going to be living here for a while, so we'd better start getting acquainted with our neighbours.'
'I'm Lizzie. Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?'
Charles was about to accept, but his friend said they were in a hurry.
'Maybe another day,' Charles said.
I thought that Fitz guy was really unfriendly. Maybe he thought he was too good for the likes of me. I had noticed he wore really expensive clothes.
Two days later, I went to the pub with Jane and saw him sitting at a table with Charles.
'Let's go over and say hello,' Jane suggested when I told her who they were. 'You can introduce us.'
'No, thanks,' I said.
Charles, however, had other ideas. He came to where we were standing and invited us to join them. He was so friendly that I couldn't say no.
I noticed he couldn't take his eyes off my sister. They talked non-stop, while Fitz and I struggled to exchange a few polite words. I was usually easy to please, but it was different this time. I just couldn't stand the guy.
After a while, I couldn't take it any more, so I said I was going to the toilet and left. I called Jane from the parking lot and told her I was going home. I could tell from her voice she was mad at me, but she didn't say anything.
That night, she told me we had been invited to a party at Charles's home on Friday. I couldn't think of anything worse.
The day of the party, I woke up in a lousy mood. I told Jane I didn't want to go but she begged me to accompany her.
'Okay,' I said in the end. 'I'll go with you, but you owe me big time.'
Jane agonized about what to wear. I just tied my hair in a pony tail and threw on a pair of jeans.
I had never really seen what the house looked like because it was hidden behind a metal fence. Once inside the garden, I saw it was huge. There was an ornate sign by the door that said 'Netherfield Hall'.
'You have to be kidding me,' I told my sister.
'What's wrong? What do you mean?'
'Have you never read Pride and Prejudice?'
'Oh, that! You're one to talk yourself. If you have a problem with that, first you should ask Mum why she named us after the characters in the book.'
Charles came to greet us and took my sister away. I was left to my own devices. I was feeling peckish so I decided to explore a table covered in what looked like delicious canapes. I was on my second, when I heard one of my neighbours talking to Fitz.
'Why don't you dance with Lizzie, Mr Darcy?'
Seriously? The universe was playing some kind of joke on me.
'No, thanks. I don't like dancing.'
'But Lizzie is so pretty.'
'Pretty? Tolerable, I would say. Not pretty.'
Thankfully, just then the slow dances finished. I could have killed the guy, but the rock song coming from the living room stopped me from doing it.
I looked for Jane everywhere and eventually found her in the greenhouse snogging Charles. Unbelievable! She had just met him.
A week has passed since the party and my sister is madly in love. She walks around the house as if she was floating. I've seen Fitz several more times and we've crossed a hello here and a goodbye there, but not much more. That's why I was so surprised when he turned up at my door this morning.
'Could I speak with you?' he asked me.
'Of course. Come in, please.'
'Could we go for a walk instead?'
I got my jacket and followed him outside. What he said next almost turned me into stone.
'I suppose you've noticed I like you.'
'You what?'
'I like you very much.'
'You've done a really good job of hiding it,' I said, my voice heavy with sarcasm.
'Don't tell me you haven't noticed.'
'I promise you I haven't. Besides you don't even find me pretty.'
'That was at the beginning. You've grown on me.'
'Oh!' I was at a loss for words.
'So would you go on a date with me?'
'Frankly? No!'
He looked as if I had slapped him. For a moment I felt sorry for the guy, but then I remembered how much I hated him.
We walked in silence a while longer and then he talked again.
'Let me know if you change your mind.'
It's night now and I can't sleep. I got up a while ago and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I don't know why I bother to resist my destiny. Whether I like it or not, I know I'll end up marrying him. It's written in the stars or in Austen's book or whatever.
Unexpected Romance writing prompt entry
We were eating lunch two weeks ago when Mum first brought up the topic that had been dancing in her mind all day.
'Do you know we have new neighbours?'
'We do?' Dad asked, feigning interest.
'Yes, in the big house, the one down the road.'
'And why should we care?' my sister Mary asked her.
'I've heard they used to live in London and they are loaded. And I've seen a Mercedes parked outside.'
Kitty and Lydia just listened, too excited to say anything.
My sister Jane and I looked at each other. Jane smiled and I rolled my eyes. Mum thought we lived in the nineteenth century. She wanted to marry the five of us off. As if...
A few days later, when I was taking out the trash, I ran into two men I had never seen before.
'Hello there,' one of them said.
'Hi.'
They came towards me and introduced themselves.
'My name is Charles and this is my friend Fitz. We are going to be living here for a while, so we'd better start getting acquainted with our neighbours.'
'I'm Lizzie. Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?'
Charles was about to accept, but his friend said they were in a hurry.
'Maybe another day,' Charles said.
I thought that Fitz guy was really unfriendly. Maybe he thought he was too good for the likes of me. I had noticed he wore really expensive clothes.
Two days later, I went to the pub with Jane and saw him sitting at a table with Charles.
'Let's go over and say hello,' Jane suggested when I told her who they were. 'You can introduce us.'
'No, thanks,' I said.
Charles, however, had other ideas. He came to where we were standing and invited us to join them. He was so friendly that I couldn't say no.
I noticed he couldn't take his eyes off my sister. They talked non-stop, while Fitz and I struggled to exchange a few polite words. I was usually easy to please, but it was different this time. I just couldn't stand the guy.
After a while, I couldn't take it any more, so I said I was going to the toilet and left. I called Jane from the parking lot and told her I was going home. I could tell from her voice she was mad at me, but she didn't say anything.
That night, she told me we had been invited to a party at Charles's home on Friday. I couldn't think of anything worse.
The day of the party, I woke up in a lousy mood. I told Jane I didn't want to go but she begged me to accompany her.
'Okay,' I said in the end. 'I'll go with you, but you owe me big time.'
Jane agonized about what to wear. I just tied my hair in a pony tail and threw on a pair of jeans.
I had never really seen what the house looked like because it was hidden behind a metal fence. Once inside the garden, I saw it was huge. There was an ornate sign by the door that said 'Netherfield Hall'.
'You have to be kidding me,' I told my sister.
'What's wrong? What do you mean?'
'Have you never read Pride and Prejudice?'
'Oh, that! You're one to talk yourself. If you have a problem with that, first you should ask Mum why she named us after the characters in the book.'
Charles came to greet us and took my sister away. I was left to my own devices. I was feeling peckish so I decided to explore a table covered in what looked like delicious canapes. I was on my second, when I heard one of my neighbours talking to Fitz.
'Why don't you dance with Lizzie, Mr Darcy?'
Seriously? The universe was playing some kind of joke on me.
'No, thanks. I don't like dancing.'
'But Lizzie is so pretty.'
'Pretty? Tolerable, I would say. Not pretty.'
Thankfully, just then the slow dances finished. I could have killed the guy, but the rock song coming from the living room stopped me from doing it.
I looked for Jane everywhere and eventually found her in the greenhouse snogging Charles. Unbelievable! She had just met him.
A week has passed since the party and my sister is madly in love. She walks around the house as if she was floating. I've seen Fitz several more times and we've crossed a hello here and a goodbye there, but not much more. That's why I was so surprised when he turned up at my door this morning.
'Could I speak with you?' he asked me.
'Of course. Come in, please.'
'Could we go for a walk instead?'
I got my jacket and followed him outside. What he said next almost turned me into stone.
'I suppose you've noticed I like you.'
'You what?'
'I like you very much.'
'You've done a really good job of hiding it,' I said, my voice heavy with sarcasm.
'Don't tell me you haven't noticed.'
'I promise you I haven't. Besides you don't even find me pretty.'
'That was at the beginning. You've grown on me.'
'Oh!' I was at a loss for words.
'So would you go on a date with me?'
'Frankly? No!'
He looked as if I had slapped him. For a moment I felt sorry for the guy, but then I remembered how much I hated him.
We walked in silence a while longer and then he talked again.
'Let me know if you change your mind.'
It's night now and I can't sleep. I got up a while ago and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I don't know why I bother to resist my destiny. Whether I like it or not, I know I'll end up marrying him. It's written in the stars or in Austen's book or whatever.
'Do you know we have new neighbours?'
'We do?' Dad asked, feigning interest.
'Yes, in the big house, the one down the road.'
'And why should we care?' my sister Mary asked her.
'I've heard they used to live in London and they are loaded. And I've seen a Mercedes parked outside.'
Kitty and Lydia just listened, too excited to say anything.
My sister Jane and I looked at each other. Jane smiled and I rolled my eyes. Mum thought we lived in the nineteenth century. She wanted to marry the five of us off. As if...
A few days later, when I was taking out the trash, I ran into two men I had never seen before.
'Hello there,' one of them said.
'Hi.'
They came towards me and introduced themselves.
'My name is Charles and this is my friend Fitz. We are going to be living here for a while, so we'd better start getting acquainted with our neighbours.'
'I'm Lizzie. Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?'
Charles was about to accept, but his friend said they were in a hurry.
'Maybe another day,' Charles said.
I thought that Fitz guy was really unfriendly. Maybe he thought he was too good for the likes of me. I had noticed he wore really expensive clothes.
Two days later, I went to the pub with Jane and saw him sitting at a table with Charles.
'Let's go over and say hello,' Jane suggested when I told her who they were. 'You can introduce us.'
'No, thanks,' I said.
Charles, however, had other ideas. He came to where we were standing and invited us to join them. He was so friendly that I couldn't say no.
I noticed he couldn't take his eyes off my sister. They talked non-stop, while Fitz and I struggled to exchange a few polite words. I was usually easy to please, but it was different this time. I just couldn't stand the guy.
After a while, I couldn't take it any more, so I said I was going to the toilet and left. I called Jane from the parking lot and told her I was going home. I could tell from her voice she was mad at me, but she didn't say anything.
That night, she told me we had been invited to a party at Charles's home on Friday. I couldn't think of anything worse.
The day of the party, I woke up in a lousy mood. I told Jane I didn't want to go but she begged me to accompany her.
'Okay,' I said in the end. 'I'll go with you, but you owe me big time.'
Jane agonized about what to wear. I just tied my hair in a pony tail and threw on a pair of jeans.
I had never really seen what the house looked like because it was hidden behind a metal fence. Once inside the garden, I saw it was huge. There was an ornate sign by the door that said 'Netherfield Hall'.
'You have to be kidding me,' I told my sister.
'What's wrong? What do you mean?'
'Have you never read Pride and Prejudice?'
'Oh, that! You're one to talk yourself. If you have a problem with that, first you should ask Mum why she named us after the characters in the book.'
Charles came to greet us and took my sister away. I was left to my own devices. I was feeling peckish so I decided to explore a table covered in what looked like delicious canapes. I was on my second, when I heard one of my neighbours talking to Fitz.
'Why don't you dance with Lizzie, Mr Darcy?'
Seriously? The universe was playing some kind of joke on me.
'No, thanks. I don't like dancing.'
'But Lizzie is so pretty.'
'Pretty? Tolerable, I would say. Not pretty.'
Thankfully, just then the slow dances finished. I could have killed the guy, but the rock song coming from the living room stopped me from doing it.
I looked for Jane everywhere and eventually found her in the greenhouse snogging Charles. Unbelievable! She had just met him.
A week has passed since the party and my sister is madly in love. She walks around the house as if she was floating. I've seen Fitz several more times and we've crossed a hello here and a goodbye there, but not much more. That's why I was so surprised when he turned up at my door this morning.
'Could I speak with you?' he asked me.
'Of course. Come in, please.'
'Could we go for a walk instead?'
I got my jacket and followed him outside. What he said next almost turned me into stone.
'I suppose you've noticed I like you.'
'You what?'
'I like you very much.'
'You've done a really good job of hiding it,' I said, my voice heavy with sarcasm.
'Don't tell me you haven't noticed.'
'I promise you I haven't. Besides you don't even find me pretty.'
'That was at the beginning. You've grown on me.'
'Oh!' I was at a loss for words.
'So would you go on a date with me?'
'Frankly? No!'
He looked as if I had slapped him. For a moment I felt sorry for the guy, but then I remembered how much I hated him.
We walked in silence a while longer and then he talked again.
'Let me know if you change your mind.'
It's night now and I can't sleep. I got up a while ago and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I don't know why I bother to resist my destiny. Whether I like it or not, I know I'll end up marrying him. It's written in the stars or in Austen's book or whatever.
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Writing Prompt The topic for this contest is: Unexpected Romance. The story brings two people together, two people who don't necessarily realize that they belong together but the audience is rooting for them. |
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